


Three Million and One

by hunters_of_221B_from_Gallifrey



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gay Dean, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kinda bi Dean tho, M/M, Physical Abuse, Questioning, Video description, Youtube star au, Youtuber AU, demisexual!Cas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-18 06:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4696550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunters_of_221B_from_Gallifrey/pseuds/hunters_of_221B_from_Gallifrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where the only monsters lurk behind the screens of a message board, and friends can be real heroes, Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak are YouTubers who daily post videos of random things, whether it's a day in the life, or a tear filled video of thanks. Lot's of people, however, think that they should be shipped together, and until one video on one fateful day, it seems like only the imaginings of a crazed fangirl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Impala67

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I just need to say right now that this is not my prompt. I got it from otpprompts.tumblr.com, so thanks!  
> Here is the original prompt. I'm probably not going to do the ending, because I just used this as a rough guideline for my story.  
> Imagine your OTP as internet celebrities who constantly get shipped together. Even your OTP’s friends jump aboard and tease your OTP whenever they can. Your OTP thinks the shipping is funny since they’re just really good friends, but one day the two meet in person and start falling for each other. Whether they keep it a secret or tell everyone is up to you, as well as the reactions to the latter (e.g. their friends think they’re just joking).

“Hey everyone out there! I’m Impala67, or Dean as many of you guys know, and if you don’t know, then what are you doing here? Nah, I’m kidding. Welcome! This week, I’m going to be doing something a little different than normal. I have gotten a lot of requests about me and IntriguedAssbutt, or as you know him, Castiel. Now, I'm kinda weary about reaching this far into the dark spaces of the Internet, but I have solemnly sworn to you that I would do whatever I needed to do for y'all." The screen split into pieces, so the main view was still of the man's face, but there was a small window in the corner that showed that he was on a website called "Fanfiction.net". "Many of the people that suggested this said I should try a different website than this one, but when I looked things up, this is what came up, so I'll just use this one." 

The mouse moved to click the link that went to the search bar.

"Remember, I'm doing this for the celebration of three million followers, so if I end up dead from embarrassment, I'll blame number three million. Okay, so from what I've heard, our ship name is..."Destiel". Huh. How come I'm not in it more? He gets a whole four letters and I only get two? Why can't it be like...DeanCas or something? Or...maybe Deanstiel." The man's green eyes crinkled in amusement at his own joke. "Oh god, I'm already too deep into this." 

The search bar fills in with the typed words "Destiel fanfiction", and then the mouse clicked on the search button, and immediately, about 2500 results pop up on the screen, the first being titled "I Don't Like Jokes", with the name "DeansbbCas" as the author. The tanned face in the bigger window nearly cringed. 

"Oh my god. Well...I said I would do this. I'll just do the first...uh, I'll do the first five." The mouse clicked on the first link, and text filled the screen.

"Just so you aren't bored with the details, let's skim over it. I'll read some aloud." He cleared his throat, and began to read. " _Castiel Novak loved Dean Winchester, and it made him angry._  Wait, why does loving me make him angry?" The man asked, his brow furrowed in both confusion and in a slight pout. " _Dean Winchester loved Castiel Novak, and honestly, it made him very sad._ Why are emotions so basic in this? Why can't I be happy that I love a cool guy like Cas?  _Sam hated-_ What the hell?! Sam's in this too? Jesus Christ! Professional cockblocker." A shaggy haired man poked his head into the room, confusion on his face. "Why are you talking about cockblocking for another dude?" The man asked, and Dean sighed. "Sammy, go away. You're not in this video." 

Sam shrugged and he turned and walked away, and Dean turned back to the screen. "Don't mind him, he's just being a little shit. Alright, where was I?" He scanned the page, then he nodded. "There.  _Sam finally decided to intervene, and he took matters into his own hands, finding Dean one day on his computer, as normal._ Hey, I'm not on my laptop all the time! I sometimes go outside! Jeez, Dean's bb Cas, you're a tough writer." Dean said, only joking in his voice. " _Dean, you need to stop acting like a girl with her first crush and just ask Cas out."_ Wow, Sam, really formal, don't ya think?" Dean laughed a little. "Okay, I don't think this is going anywhere too fast, so lets skip a little, shall we?"  _  
_

The mouse scrolls down a few clicks so there is only writing on the page, and no titles or other links. Dean squints at the screen, and gasps. "Wait, do we not get together in this?" Dean asked, as though he was worried it wouldn't happen. "I thought this was supposed to be fanfiction! Doesn't it always end up happy? Listen to this!  _Castiel waited until he left, then Cas fell to the ground in a heap of sobs. In all of his life, nothing had hurt him so much before this. Is this what they meant by 'love hurts'? Because if so, then it was a drastic understatement._ " Dean looked at the camera with disbelief. "Seriously?! What the fuck is this?! Are you trying to make me the bad guy here? Because I so do not appreciate that!" Dean stared rapturously at the screen as he scrolled down even further. " _Light, fluffy crystals at first, slowly turned to a full fledged blizzard. Nearly blind, Dean stumbled through the snow, skidding across the ice. While the beer did not cause the staggering steps, it certainly did not help. Finally, it got to the point were Dean felt like he couldn't walk any more, numbness from both emotional and physical pain leaking through his senses. He tumbled down into the pile of snow by the road, not bothering to get up._ Do I die in this?" Dean asked, his face horrorstriken. "Please tell me I don't die in this, because that would suck major ass."

Dean searched the screen for some sort of sign that he would survive the story, and he sighed in relief as he found out that it was Castiel who saves him in the end, and they find out that everything was a huge misunderstanding. 

"Well...that was certainly more than I bargained for. I didn't think I would get so into it. As it appears, I'm already almost ten minutes into this video, and I've only read one fanfiction. So, I guess I'll have to make this a series, huh? Maybe you can go nag Cas about this stuff and try to get him to do it." Dean snickered, and he closed the small window, so it was now only him in the video. "Okay, I'm out of here. I'll see you all later, and remember, never be afraid to reach out to me if any of you need some help with anything. I'll try my best to talk to every single one of you." Dean smiled widely. "Bye!" He waved, and the screen went dark.


	2. IntriguedAssbutt

"Hello Internet. I have been looking around some of the pages I follow, and apparently, you are all talking about an Impala67 video that came out yesterday,  _Reading My Own Fanfiction._ And I have gotten comments on videos so old that I barely remember doing them. They all say to do a reaction to the video, or do it myself." A dark haired head shook as blue eyes looked down, obviously amused. "So, I decided to do a reaction to it. I am not that much of a fangirl like you guys are, but Dean and I are friends, so I wouldn't really want to read things where we end up fucking."

The video screen became smaller, and the video of Dean appeared in the main screen.

"Alright, let's see..." Castiel clicked on the play button, and he smiled when Dean started to talk.  _I'm kinda weary about reaching this far into the dark spaces of the Internet.  
_ Castiel snorted. "Yeah, you reached real deep for that one, huh? And it's not like he went to some obscure website that no one has ever heard of. It's literally 'fanfiction.net, the most basic thing you could make for a fanfiction website." Castiel criticized. He leaned closer to the screen when he saw the typed words. "Destiel? Huh, that sounds nice. I like it better than what he's suggesting. Deanstiel? Really? It doesn't flow. Destiel sounds like a real name." Castiel noted. 

Castiel watched as Dean clicked on the first work in the archive, and he laughed immediately, shutting his bright eyes to just laugh at the fact that not only was the author's name hilarious, but the fact that the first line was him being angry. 

"S-So that's h-how you see me?" He gasped out between heaving laughs. "A-As angry?" He finally was able to calm down, and he realized he missed some of the video. "Shit, hang on." He rewinded it, so that he could see it again, and he watched as Dean read the story aloud. "But he has a point, why is Sam in this? He's literally just in this to convince Dean to make a move. If he was really in this, then he would talk to us both. Sam is a good man, and he wouldn't just throw Dean into the fray." Castiel said, his brow furrowing as the video continued. "And he would not be a cockblock. Plus, I don't understand what he is cockblocking. This story doesn't have any sex in it." 

Castiel frowned, though, as he watched the video progress. "Do we end up getting together? I seem really sad. I don't think I've cried like that since...high school." Castiel said. "Wow, Dean seems really upset that we aren't getting together." He noted with an even deeper frown etched into his face. "It's just a story." 

Castiel covered his mouth as he realized that Dean was dying in the story, and his eyes went wide. "What?! No, no Dean can't just die! It was just a misunderstanding! They belong together!" He cried out. "Who the fuck wrote this shit!" He shouted at the screen, and finally, he found out that it all ended with him saving Dean. "Oh my god, we lived! And we ended up together!" Castiel grinned. "Okay, I got waay more into that than I should have." Castiel admitted, his cheeks turning slightly red. 

"Okay, so now I'm going to go off on my own rant separate from the video I just watched." Castiel said, the screen just showing him now.

"As you all know, I am not exactly one for dating, and while I understand that you ship Dean and I together...I have something to tell you all. I'm not...I don't date because I'm demisexual. I just don't care for the thought of sex for pleasure, and I would much rather know someone well before I get into anything. I don't know Dean all that well, so I don't think it will end up happening. I hope that you guys can understand where I'm coming from here, because honestly I just wanted you to know about me, about who I am. I love you all so much, and you have helped me through thick and thin, especially with my issues last year. I got so many cards and letters in the mail that I nearly cried, so thank you. If I end up losing followers for this video, so be it. But I hope that you will accept me for who I am truly, instead of who you think I am." Castiel gave a shaky sigh, his chest shaking a little bit.

"Thank you all for watching, and have an intriguing day." He smiled, then the screen went dark.


	3. Collab

“Hello! And welcome to yet another episode of IntriguedAssbutt and friends! About two weeks ago, I had none other than TheGirlWithTheDungeonsAndDragonsTattoo, Ms. Charlie Bradbury, and we did the blindfolded makeup challenge, and she really made my eyes pop with that mascara.” Castiel batted his eyelashes playfully, then he laughed. “Or, maybe not. Anyway, I have another guest today, and it’s someone brand new to me! Why don’t you show yourself?” Castiel grinned.

On cue, Dean’s face popped up from the side of the screen, and he waved at the camera. “Hi everyone! I know, I know, dream come true, right? I have fulfilled your dreams and fanstasies just by being here, huh?” Dean said cheekily, winking at the screen.

“You flirt. You just winked at a million people. Dean’s a whore.” Castiel whispered, hiding his mouth from Dean, but he knew that the other man heard him. Dean grinned at him, and then he looked back at the camera. 

"After that rude comment, I may just leave. But I came all the way from Kansas to do this with you, so you better make it good. Why don't you tell us what we'll be doing today?" Dean asked, putting his hands on his hips and looking at Castiel.

"Well, Dean! We'll be doing something to get to know one another even more! The Newly-Friend game! As seen by some other YouTubers, this game has us write down the answers to certain questions, and the other person has to guess the answer. Whoever gets the most right wins!"

"What do they win?"

"I don't know, the eternal glory of winning a challenge on my channel." Castiel shrugged.

"That seems fair." Dean nodded with his lips pursed. He reached off screen and brought some notecards and pens up, handing one stack to Castiel and keeping one for himself. "First question. Favorite song." Dean said, grinning as he quickly wrote down his answer. 

"That's hard! I don't listen to that much music besides classical!" Castiel whined, but he nonetheless wrote something down. 

"Well, then pick a song I know! I wanna win." Dean said, and he looked at Castiel for the next question, which was  _How many siblings do you have?_ "Oh come on, really? That's easy for you and hard for me! How am I supposed to know how many siblings you have?!" Dean exclaimed, mumbling to himself at Castiel laugh. _  
_

"I've mentioned the number in my videos before, Dean. It is not something random that there is no possible way of knowing it. Yours, however, was a bit ridiculous. There are so many songs to choose from. There is no possible way to know which is your favorite." Castiel said logically, which made Dean huff.

"Fine, I'll make a more  _possible_ question for you, princess."

"I am not a princess!"

"Moving on! Alright, date of birth." Dean cut in, writing his answer down.

"That is an acceptable question."

"Glad you approve." Dean scoffed, and Castiel narrowed his eyes at Dean, the blue becoming just slits, but he said nothing more. "Okay, so what's the last question?"

"Greatest fear." Castiel decided, and Dean widened his eyes a little bit, and he looked at his cards. 

"Can...you choose something else? I don't know if I would be comfortable with that." Dean mumbled. Castiel frowned, about to ask, when Dean shook his head. "Never mind, it's fine, I guess. I've just never told anyone about my fear, so all you people out there should count yourselves lucky." Dean gave a smile, shoving away his old thoughts almost visually. Castiel's eyes just got even more narrow, so that they were almost closed while he wrote down his answer.

"I will squeeze an answer out of him later. In the meantime! Let's see who will win!" Castiel declared. "Alright Dean, your favorite song...is "Rock of Ages"by Def Leopard." Castiel said, a questioning sound at the end of the statement.

"Ooh, that's a good song, but not my favorite. It's a tie between Zepplin's "Ramble On" and "Traveling Riverside Blues". Either one would have worked." Dean shrugged.  _  
_

"Okay, I can see those as being your favorites. And I was decently close. Around the same time, right?" Castiel asked, and Dean chuckled.

"Sorta. Alright...I see your song as being..."Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven." Dean asked hopefully. Castiel raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, I am surprised. It's not right, but it is a second favorite. My favorite is "Believe It Or Not". You know, the theme to Great American Hero?" Castiel grinned, and Dean groaned, rolling his eyes so far, all you could see were the whites of his eyes. 

"Uggggghhhhh. Really? That is an awful song!" Dean proclaimed, and Castiel gasped.

"No it isn't! I love it! I sing it to my niece to get her to go to sleep!"

"Well I'm surprised she doesn't scream in terror instead."

"That's rude. I didn't make fun of your song."

"Fine, sorry. Next question. I think you have...five siblings." Dean guessed, and Castiel nodded.

"Yes, I do actually. Two sisters and three brothers. Two brothers are twins. Gabriel and Lucifer, then there is Michael, my oldest brother, and my two little sisters, Anna and Ella. Well, our parents named her Raphael, but it was weird, so she goes by Ella now." Castiel explained, and Dean punched his fist up into the air. 

"Woohoo! I got it! It was a total guess too!" Dean laughed, doing a little dance in his chair, then stopping when he realized he was on camera still. "Alright, your turn."

"Easy. You have one sibling. A brother." Dean frowned.

"Uh...no, I have two brothers. Sam and Adam." 

"Wait, since when? Is Adam a new baby?"

"No, man he's my half brother. You seriously didn't know that I had two brothers?" Dean inquired, and Castiel shook his head, amazed that he had gotten that wrong. 

"I didn't know that at all. I just thought that since you talk about Sam all the time in your videos, you only had him." Castiel said, still confused.

"Who's side is he on?" He asked, wanting to know more about his new friend.

"He's my dad's kid. After my mom passed, he got really bad for awhile, and before he cleaned up his act, he slept with a woman in one of the towns we stopped in. She called him a few years later and said that Adam was his. We rushed over there, and found out that his mom was dying, so we took him in after that. He mostly stays on his own, but we keep in contact most of the time." Dean smiled. "He's a good kid. I love him as much as I love Sammy."

"That is nice. I am glad that he had you when he truly needed someone. You are a good big brother. I wish I could say the same. I haven't been there for most of my family recently, especially since I started YouTube. They all think that it's weird, and after my last video that revealed my true sexuality...well, they haven't been overly supportive. I wish I could have a brother like you." Castiel looked over at Dean, and there was something in his eyes that just wasn't there before. He blinked slowly, and he took in all of Dean, his kind smile, his spattering of freckles, the way the lights in the room shone on Dean's tan skin, and he just beamed brightly, happier than he had been for a long time.

"Well, I'm here for you Cas, I promise you that." Dean said, snapping Castiel out of his trance. He realized that 1) He was fantasizing about a good friend. 2) Not even two seconds had passed. And 3) Dean called him Cas. And he liked it.

"Thank you, Dean. And I am here for you as well. If you ever need anything, I am just a message away." He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "So, next question? Date of birth...I think I remember hearing that it was January...uh, not the 21st...oh! The 24th!" Castiel decided, and Dean made a face.

"Yes, that's right. But that means we're tied. I either have to get both of these right, or you have to fail on the last one." Dean sighed, then he looked at his card. "Uh...okay, birthday...I'm going with...February 12th?"

"Nope! September 18th." Castiel pronounced proudly. "I like it, because it's still warm from summer, but it's just cool enough to be happy. Plus the leaves are starting to fall and the Pumpkin Spice Latte comes out at Starbucks."

"God, Cas, you're such a white girl. All you're missing is some Uggs and leggings." Dean laughed, holding his stomach as a photoshopped image of Castiel popped up on the screen. The image was of the disgruntled Castiel with a latte in his hand, and badly photoshopped leggings on his bottom half, as well as a pair of tan Uggs.

"Just so you know, that picture was all Dean's idea, not mine." Castiel huffed, crossing his arms and looking slightly like he was pouting.

"Aww, don't pout. Come on, we have one last question to do. What's your worst fear? I'm going to say that your worst fear is..." Dean's face softened a bit when he saw Castiel's face, which was a bit desperate. Turns out this would be a deep video as well as a fan pleaser. "Judgement."

"Ding ding ding." Castiel said, though it wasn't as excited as he was a few minutes ago. "Before you try to make this deep and meaningful and...whatever, let's just skip that and go on to yours. I say it's...lizards." Castiel shrugged.

"No, actually it's flying."

"Wait, you're afraid of heights?" Castiel blanched.

"No, no not heights. Airplanes." Dean mumbled. "If people were meant to fly, then they would have been born with wings." Dean tried to defend himself.

"Hey, it's alright. My fear sucked major ass. Don't worry. Plus there are a lot of people who fear flying." Castiel assured him, and the smile on Dean's bright face was worth the entire video.

"Thanks, Cas. That means a lot to me." Dean said honestly, and before they could get too awkward, Castiel turned to the camera.

"Alrighty! That's all folks,  thank you all for watching! Make sure to subscribe to me and Dean, who is Impala67. Remember, have an intriguing day!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired for this chapter by watching AmazingPhil and Tyler Oakley.


	4. Sorry

The video screen opened with a familiar face, but it was almost unrecognizable with the way it looked. Red eyes, blotchy cheeks, bitten lip, but most prominent was a bruised nose and black eye on the normally happy man most called Dean.

"Hey everyone. I..I have to tell you all something. I know that I haven't posted a video in a few weeks since my collab with IntriguedAssbutt, and here's my reason why; my year long relationship...it just ended." Dean choked out, the screen stuttering for a moment before it came back onto Dean's face, which was slightly less red, but there were fresh tears on his cheeks that had been hidden by the editing. "Many of you may know that I was with a girl named Lisa for the past few months, and even more of you are probably wondering what I mean by a year long relationship when I only met Lisa last spring."

A picture of a man came on the screen, a young man with a burly physique and a charming smile, and his arm was wrapped around Dean. Dean looked happy in the photo, his green eyes shining and he was laughing at something the other man had said.

"This...is Benny Lafyette. He...He was my boyfriend for an entire year." Dean said, his voice barely above a whisper, but his mic caught every word. "My dad never thought I was good enough, and when I realized I was gay, I knew that I could never tell him. He would just be angry at me, and I didn't want that. I haven't lived with him for three years and I'm still terrified of the damn bastard." Dean gave a dark chuckle, no humor tinting his voice. "And rightfully so, apparently." Dean pointed at his bruised eye.

"Yeah, I know. But, even if I put this on the Internet and say John Winchester punched me in the face, nothing will happen to him, because something is wrong with that fucker and no matter what I do, I can't get him caught. I tried to call the police when I was ten and he tried to beat me, and the cops just laughed it off as a prank call. I tried to stop him from hurting Sam once, but the woman I got to help only came after Dad was gone and Sam was asleep. I can't..." Dean pressed his face into his hands an took a deep breathe.

"This...this isn't a very long video, but you guys need to know that I'm gay. For the past few months I tried to use Lisa as a cover for Benny, but my dad still found out after Benny sent me a text. God, a text. He broke up with me over text! He couldn't even face me and do it!" Dean shouted, his hurt coming unveiled and being revealed in his voice. "What kind of sick bastard does that!? Can't you just get over yourself enough to face me?!" Dean screamed at the camera, banging his fists on the table.

The screen went black for a long time, about twenty seconds, before it flickered to life again. But instead of Dean's face, it was Sam's concerned face. 

"Uh, hi. Listen, I don't know much about making videos, but Dean had to go, so he asked if I could take over. He's...he's going through a lot right now, with Dad, and with Benny...I'm glad he's getting everything out, don't get me wrong...but please, send him all the love you can. He needs it." Sam said, his hazel eyes filled with concern and nothing but love for his brother.

"He wants to come back, but I don't know when he'll make another video...so I guess we'll all see. Thanks guys, and wish him well."

The screen went dark, perhaps for the last time.


	5. Rant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this one and the last chapter haven't been as long, but the next one will be a Vlog, so it will be longer.

A normal black screen turned into flashing white words, reading in large, bold font "RANT INCOMING", and after they flashed for a few seconds, the screen faded until Castiel's face was clear. He was clearly angry, his eyes a storm of blue and gray, making him look incredibly dark, despite the brightly lit room.

"Hey, you know who I am, and I need to talk about something. I know a lot of you guys don't normally like rants, but this needs to be fucking said. Excuse my language as well, but I need to get everything out right now." He said, before he took a deep breath, calming himself only slightly.

"As many of you know who follow Impala67, Dean...he's in a bad place right now, and how the fuck could you do that to someone as nice as him? I've known him for awhile now, and I've never once thought of any reason to hurt him, physically or emotionally. Benny Lafyette, whoever the fuck you are, you are directly out of the seventh circle of Hell, you know that?" Castiel snarled at the screen. "Dean deserves better than you could ever give him, and you hurt him because you didn't have the balls to be serious."

A picture of the burly man from Dean's last video appeared on the side of the screen with Benny's address and phone number. 

"I don't normally ask much of you guys, but could you please make this man's life a living Hell? Please, he deserves every second of it, and I don't care if the cops come after me for sending you out on him, but I don't want Dean to go un-avenged. He deserves happiness, even if it's after all this happened to him." Castiel sighed, and he rubbed his eyes heavily, his anger draining out of him.

"I-I've been trying to call him for the past few days now, but he hasn't been answering the phone. God, guys I am so worried about him. He's...Dean will worry about someone's wants before he thinks of his own  _needs._ A lot of you guys might not know...but we went to therapy together for awhile. When I was in Kansas for a few weeks, he invited me to join him, and it was useful, but I had to go back to Illinois."

Castiel looked down at his hands, and he squeezed them into fists, then he raised his head back to face the camera, the anger back in his eyes.

"And then...there's John Winchester." Castiel practically roared, standing up and making his chair fall over. "Dean's father is the one who hit him!! You guys all saw his face, right?! John did that! How could anyone hit their own child like that??? What would make someone stoop down to the level of hitting someone more than half their age?!?!" Castiel shouted, throwing his arms up, then he kicked his couch behind him, taking his anger out on the furniture. He kicked it, threw the pillows, pounded on the cushions, and he finally fell down onto it. After he fell, the camera did a quick jumpcut to later on, where Castiel was back in his normal chair, an ice pack on his foot from kicking the couch.

"Sorry, I let the rant get out of hand." He said, though he was satisfied with the damage he had done to his living room. "But at least John is in custody right now. Sam called me after it happened, and apparently John tried to attack Dean again, but Sam was able to get to the phone before anything else too bad could happen. I heard that something might have happened to Dean, and you know me and how I let rumors get to me. I heard that someone in his hometown saw him in the hospital, but I don't know for sure." Castiel said, his eyes shimmering with tears that he refused to shed on camera. Dean was a stronger man than he was to be able to cry in front of the camera and actually put the video up.

Castiel smiled a little bit nonetheless.

"He...he told Sam to say hi to me." Castiel said, his stubbly cheeks turning a bit pink, but barely enough to see. "I know he's been in such a horrible relationship, and how he's going through such shit...but I just want to be able to be there for him." He admitted. "I think I'm going to fly out to Kansas to see him. I really hope he's not in a hospital like those people said." Castiel raised his hand to his lips to chew on the nail nervously, then he batted it away, stopping himself from biting the nail. 

"Okay...I-I...well, Dean and I forgot to announce this on my last video that I posted with him, but he was the winner of the Newly Friends Game, and he will hopefully be receiving the bragging rights whenever...whenever I see him again." Castiel said the last part very quietly.

"I guess...I'll see you guys all later. Please make sure Benny is sufficiently miserable, and if you are in the jury for John Winchester's trial, vote guilty. Alright, I'm Castiel, and have an intriguing day."


	6. Vlog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no excuse on why I didn't get this up sooner. I'm so sorry. But its here now and that's what matters.

As per usual, the black screen turned into a visual, but instead of a steady view, a slightly grainier picture of Castiel appeared, and he had a smile on his face. The camera was moving slightly, showing that it was being held as opposed to being stationary. 

"Hey everyone! So, I haven't done a vlog before, but I decided to do one today, because it's an important. I'm going to surprise Dean in his city." Castiel grinned. "I'm in a hotel room in Kansas right now, as you guys can see." The camera panned around the room, showing a messy bed, some clothes in a suitcase, and some camera equipment, like cords and batteries. "And I'm about to go get a taxi to the hospital."

The scene cut to Castiel walking into an elevator, the camera pointed outward so Castiel wasn't directly seen, but across from the camera, there was a mirror that showed Castiel in a blue button down shirt, black pants and Vans. On his head was a black beanie, covering his normally messy dark brown hair, but some of it was still sticking out of the sides.

Castiel checked himself in the mirror, moving some of his hair aside, then he walked out of the elevator when it came down to the ground floor. He headed outside and got into a yellow car that was waiting outside the lobby. 

"I need to get to Lawrence Memorial please." He said politely, and he turned the camera onto his face again. "Right...Dean is in the hospital. I said in my last video that it might be true, and it is. Don't worry, he's not dying or anything, but he's got a few serious bruises and a fractured wrist. He's doing better now since I last heard." Castiel assured his audience, not minding the strange looks he was getting from the taxi driver. "Since this will just be a random drive, I'll pause this and keep going when I get there."

The screen instantly went to Castiel walking into a place with sliding doors that read  _Lawrence Memorial Hospital_ in frosted letters. Within the doors were lots of people, mostly in white, though there were other people besides nurses or doctors scuttling about. The visitors all had a similar expression to each other. They all looked extremely morbid, and some glared at the camera while others looked onward, staring at nothing. 

"Uh...I think I might be in the wrong place..." Castiel said as he looked around for a nurse, then flagged one down. He put the camera down by his side, but the audio was still easily heard through the device. "Hey, do you know where a patient named Dean Winchester would be? He's in room 205, ward A. At least that's what I last heard." Castiel explained. A rustling of papers could be heard, then a hum.

"Dean Winchester. Yup, he's still there. But you're in ward C right now, Mr..."

"Novak. I'm a friend of his and I came to visit him. Could you possibly show me where he is?" Castiel asked, his voice smooth and calm. "What is this ward anyway? Why do those people keep staring at us?" Castiel inquired, pointing his camera towards the staring people.

"Oh? Ward C is the mental ward here. I'm surprised you got in here at all. Did someone drop you off or something?" The nurse asked, tilting her head a little bit to the side in curiosity.

"Just a taxi. We tried to pull up front but an ambulance took the spot, so he came around the back." Castiel explained as it could be seen that the pair were now moving down a hallway. Castiel put the camera in front of him so that his audience would be able to see everything that he saw.

"I'm sorry about that then, we try to keep those doors closed so no outsiders can come in and none of our patients can leave. Ah, here we go. Ward A. You can go ahead and sign in here, and the nurse will take you to the room you want." The nurse said with one last fleeting smile, then she disappeared down the hall and around the corner. 

After a few minutes of arguing with one of the guards about being able to take his camera inside of the hospital, he managed to get inside and he stopped to look in a mirror before he got to the room. 

"Alright. I can do this. It's just....saying hi." Castiel mumbled to himself, briefly forgetting that he was carrying a camera. "Besides, I'm sure he's had lots of visitors." Castiel shrugged to himself, but it was weak as he turned, gave a deep breath, then walked into the room labeled  _205_. 

"Hello Dean."

A bruised face looked up from his lap, and immediately Dean started to smile so hard he had to stop because it hurt his face. It was as though someone had just told Dean that he had won the lottery, only Castiel couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. There was a large bruise beneath Dean's left eye so that it was swollen shut, leaving only his right eye as his good one. His thin body was littered in plum colored marks that were about the size of a man's fist, and they were so dark against the white scrubs Dean wore, they seemed to glow on his tan skin. The camera shook a bit, but it started moving towards Dean as Castiel gave Dean a big hug.

"Cas...I didn't know you were coming down here!" Dean beamed, not as much as before, but it was still big enough. "Did you...just come down here so that you could visit me?"

"Of course not! That would be ridiculous! I came down here to prove to your worried followers that you are alive." Castiel said, and a smirk was audible in his voice.

"Ah. Always business with you." Dean mockingly scolded, but his smile never faltered. "Come on, sit down! I haven't seen you since our collab! How are you?"

"I'm pretty good. Better now that I know you are actually okay. I was very worried about you." Castiel mumbled, and Dean's hand slid out of view from the camera. It didn't take a genius to know where it went.

"I'm alright Cas. Really, I am. My wrist hurts, but other than that, I'm okay. Hell, I'm getting out of here tomorrow. Its a good thing you came today, otherwise I would have missed you." Dean chuckled, and there was a soft sound of Castiel laughing as well.

"I'm going to stay here for about a week, okay? I already made the plans with Sam." Castiel explained, and Dean blinked his good eye in surprise.

"Really? You're...gonna stay here?" 

"Yes. I want to make sure you will be alright. Plus, I'll help you make your next video." Castiel held up the camera so that both he and Dean were in the shot. "See guys! I said I would surprise him! Plus I bet you're all happy that we're together. Well, not together together, but-"

"They know what you mean, Cas." Dean laughed again. "Hey guys! Thanks for worrying about me and for sending me stuff! Sam said I got a 20 pound teddy bear from a girl named Amara! Thanks Amara! You're awesome!"

"Alright, I'm going to turn this off for awhile while Dean and I talk about...serious stuff. You guys are probably going to write fanfiction about what we say, so maybe Dean will do another fanfiction reading." Castiel winked at the camera while Dean just rolled his eyes. "Okay, with the editing, it'll seem like two seconds, so seeing you right...now!"

The camera cut to Castiel asleep in a chair, slumped down in it while the camera moved shakily to show that Dean was now holding it. 

"Hey everyone. I stole Cas' camera after he fell asleep, and I just wanted to tell you guys that I was thankful for all of you pitching to help me and for giving Benny all the crap you did. Sam showed me Cas' last video, then he told me that Benny had to get a PO box because his mailbox was so full. I know it sounds bitchy, but I am so glad that you guys did that. Honestly, I welled up a bit when I saw it. So...since Cas is dead to the world, I'll sign off for him. He's IntriguingAssbutt, and please..." Dean smiled even more. "Have an intriguing day."


	7. Anouncement

The video was something different than normal, everyone could tell from the title.  _Announcement._ That was it. No additional information below it, besides the basic date and links to IntriguedAssbutt's pages on various websites. It was especially worrying, since it had been weeks since the last video. And the last video had been the vlog with Impala67.

The video opened to Castiel's normal, smiling face. 

"Hello everyone! I know it's been a long time, and I owe you something good. So I hope this will do. I've spent the last few weeks with Dean and Sam in Kansas, since Dean got hurt, and...well we decided that it would be best if we moved in together. I had an extra room, and Dean was looking for a place to stay. Sam is in California now, so it seemed like the best option. I'm sure you're all raving about it, but don't get any ideas. We're good friends, and this will help us. We're both messed up, and it will help us get better, help us move on from our past." Castiel explained, and that was when Dean's face peeked in from the door. 

"Didj'a tell them?" Dean asked, before he came in and sat down. "Hey! So, yeah! We live together now! The break is over, and we'll be making videos again! Both of us. I feel a lot better now. I've been getting all your messages and gifts, and I just want to say thank you so much. We both do. Cas has been nothing but nice to me this whole time, and with you guys showing your support with something I was really worried about...it just proves to show you're the best fans of all." Dean beamed.

"Yeah, it's exciting, all of this." Castiel was silent for a little bit, then he sighed. "I know this will inspire so many fanfictions, and maybe some day we'll post a reaction video to them together, but not until later on." Castiel assured them. 

"We just wanted this to be a short video to tell everyone about this and to let you know we're still alive." Dean laughed a little bit at that. "Well, I'm barely alive, but you get the picture." He winked at the screen. 

"We love you all, and we'll talk to you soon." The two waved, and the screen went black for a moment, then something flashed on screen. A note on a black screen in white writing. 

_Nothing will be able to show how much we appreciate all of you, how much all of you mean to us. We invite you all to come see us at VidCon next month. We'll have a joint panel and be taking questions of all kinds! The first hundred people to sign up get a discount! We will also be doing a meet and greet, along with hosting the main event! So we'll be able to post lots of videos that weekend. Just keep your eye on this space for updates! Have an intriguing day, and goodbye!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short, and I know it's been awhile, but I hope that even this short chapter will tide you over. I plan on doing a bigger chapter for the VidCon! It will be big, I promise.


	8. Pre-VidCon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be formatted a little bit differently, as it won't be a video. It'll be kinda like a regular fan fic. You'll see. I know it's been awhile since I updated, but I was just looking over it and figured I could add to the chapters. TW: Depiction of a panic attack

Dean woke up with a groan, his guts aching, but no more than normal. Ever since the beating, his insides always seemed to hurt for some reason. He had seen a doctor about it, but they said it was likely just bruising from the attack. Dean got up and took his pills, then he glanced around his mostly bare room. It had been two weeks since he moved in with Castiel, and things were going pretty well so far. They had started going to therapy together, since it was always easier with a buddy, and more importantly the move had gotten Dean away from his father and from Benny. 

Benny. That dickhead. Thinking about him made Dean sick to his stomach. Or was that last night's pizza? He didn't quite know. Dean stretched and noticed his suitcase was still mostly unpacked. Riiight. They were leaving for LA that evening for VidCon, even if it wasn't actually in LA. Dean wasn't a huge fan of California, but it was a good time of year for it. It was warm and there weren't too many people at the moment. Dean did wish that Sam had been able to come down to see him, but he had to work on stuff up in Northern California. Dean didn't mind too much. 

Dean shook away his thoughts and put in his earbuds while he started packing the last of his things: laptop, chargers, phone. The essentials. Dean would save the toiletries for later, so he decided to go grab something to eat. He shuffled out of his room, still bobbing his head to the beat of the newest Taylor Swift song. He would never admit that he listened to her music, but with earbuds in, he could get away with it. Dean looked around and noticed that Castiel had gone on his morning jog, so he unplugged his ear buds and played the song from his speakers on the phone. 

Dean hummed along to the tune as he made himself some toast and poured a glass of OJ. He sat down with his peanut butter toast and juice and nibbled on it, grabbing his itinerary to read over. He didn't like having plans for events like this, since they always changed in the moment, but they were essential to the way some people worked. People like Cas, he was beginning to realize. Castiel couldn't go a day without knowing exactly what was happening at ever single hour of the day. Dean didn't mind most of the time. Dean looked down at the itinerary and noticed that he would be doing a panel with Castiel tomorrow morning, then a meet and greet on Sunday. That's not too bad, though he did notice that there was no signing.

Wasn't there supposed to be a specific time when they did a signing in front of the panel hall? Dean looked over the plan again, still not seeing it. Dean texted Cas saying " _Hey, just noticed there was no signing on the plan for VidCon. Know anything about that?_ " He tried to keep it from being confrontational, but he was worried. He didn't like disappointing his fans, and he had promised a signing. Hell, he'd already gotten the ticket revenue from selling some pre-tickets for it. Then why wasn't it there. 

Dean cleaned up before Castiel got back, and he held out a bottle of water to his roommate when Castiel sat down at the table. Castiel nodded at him and took a swig, sighing and panting still.

"Thanks. Went on a longer jog than normal. Saw you texted but didn't see what was up." Castiel said between breaths, and Dean sat down across from him. 

"Nah, don't worry. Take your time. I made myself some toast already, do you want some?" Dean offered, but Castiel shook his head. 

"Made some breakfast before I left." He shrugged, then pulled out his phone to read the text. "Wait what? They cut our signing?" Castiel grabbed the itinerary and read it over. "They cut... your signing. Mine is still there." Castiel noticed with a deep frown. "That's not right. We were supposed to have all our events together, and they can't just take that away from you!"

"Cas, it's fine." Dean insisted, "I-"

"It's not fine, Dean! They cut your event!"

"I just want to make sure the fans are okay. I've already sold some tickets. Would they refund it?" Dean asked in concern, and Castiel shook his head sadly. 

"Cons don't normally refund for cancelled events or guests."

"NO!" Dean stood up and looked over the paper, finding a number to call. "I'll be right back." Dean said as he held his phone to his ear and left the room to yell at some people. Castiel stayed put, looking at the paper some more. When he found out about the cancellation, he had gotten really upset too, but he didn't know what he could do. It wasn't his event even. He stood up and went to his room, passing Dean's on the way. 

"No, you listen to me, Becky! I either get my event back or the money goes back to the fans!" Castiel could hear Dean snapping at the poor lady on the other end of the phone, and he just kept walking past the room and to his own. Castiel closed the door and peeled off the jogging attire he had donned for the early morning, slipping into some comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. He had already packed everything he needed besides his phone and laptop, so he didn't need to worry about hurrying to pack. Castiel opened up his laptop and checked his sub count and his page. Castiel raised his eyebrow when he saw that he had just hit six million subscribers. Castiel grinned widely and opened a new tab to check out his Tumblr.

He checked his tag on Tumblr and tons of people were congratulating him on his achievement, how he was that much closer to a Diamond Play Button, but he noticed that one person had sent him something first. Dean. A little notice from Impala67 was at the very bottom of his screen, and it was a message.

_Was watching your videos last night when I noticed you hit six mil. Congrats buddy._

Of course the comments on that message were insane, going from crazed Destiel shippers, to theorists, to even haters. Castiel smiled and told himself to thank Dean later, after this whole mess was sorted out. Castiel typed out a general thank you message with a few gifs attached and posted it. He decided to scroll through Tumblr for a bit, at least until he couldn't hear Dean shouting anymore. He also made sure all his identification and tickets were together and put with his wallet so he could grab them all at once before leaving.

Dean finally quieted after about twenty minutes of persistent yelling and pestering, and he came into Castiel's room with an air of pride. "I got my event back." He beamed. "I was able to put up such a fuss that it was either get it back or lose me." Dean smirked, and Castiel just scoffed. 

"As if you really wouldn't go. This is only your second event. You went to PAX East, but you didn't go to West." Castiel teased. "But I'm glad you got that back. We have a few hours until the plane takes off, so how does leaving at 2 sound?" Castiel offered, and Dean looked at his watch. It was almost eleven and their plane left at 4:45. That sounded about right. 

"Yeah, sounds perfect. I'm gonna chill in my room and get finished packing." Dean said, leaving the room before Castiel could thank him. Castiel shrugged and decided he could do it later.

* * *

Dean approached the gate with a weary look in his eyes. It was a four hour flight. Dean was terrified of flying. Dean gripped a stress ball that his therapist had given him, squeezing it so hard that it felt like it was about to pop. It was a pretty accurate description of Dean at the moment too. So stressed that he might pop. Castiel put his hand on Dean's shoulder. 

"We've talked about this, Dean. You can do this. There's a way more likely chance of crashing in a car than in a plane, and you can have some wine on board." Castiel reminded him, and Dean nodded, swallowing hard. 

"Yeah, yeah you're right. I just... I need a sec to myself." Dean said, quickly finding a bathroom and slipping into a stall. He took in a deep breath, then another but quicker. Then another, but quicker. That cycle kept going until Dean was suddenly hyperventilating, his heart beating rapidly. 'No, no!' He faintly thought to himself, 'I can't have a panic attack now!'

Dean clutched his chest and stared at the door of the stall, his eyes wide as he felt the walls of the stall closing in on him. He pressed his hands against the walls of the stall, his chest rising and falling rapidly with the frantic pounding of his heart. His vision blurred and the floor tilted as he struggled to stay seated on the toilet. His vision went from blurred to black spots dancing in his eyes from the lack of oxygen, his mouth opening and closing like a fish on dry land. Dean couldn't breath, and he couldn't even think enough to think of what he needed to do!

And that's when he heard something faintly in his panic.

"Dean!" 

Dean's eyes fluttered open. Had he closed them? He must have. Castiel was standing in front of him, a concerned look on his face and a hand on Dean's cheek. 

"Dean, Dean listen to me you need to get grounded." Castiel insisted. "You're in a bathroom right now, you're safe, and you're not going to be hurt." Castiel said firmly. "I want you to breath with me, five seconds in, hold for eight, five seconds out." Castiel inhaled deeply, insisting that Dean do it with him. Dean was still breathing rapidly, but he tried to match his short, choppy breaths with Castiel's deeper ones. After a minute or so, Dean's breathing had slowed down and his heart had ceased racing. Dean looked up into Castiel's cerulean eyes and gave a short nod to show that he was okay now. He stood from the toilet and noticed that Castiel had broken the door down to get in to him.

"I-I think we might need to pay for that before we go." Dean said, making Castiel laugh tiredly. 

"Yeah, I think so too." Castiel nodded. 

They paid the appropriate people and got in line to board the plane. Dean looked at Castiel with a look of desperation. "Please make sure we stay together? I don't think I could do this alone." Dean said in a small voice, and Castiel just smiled.

"Of course, Dean. I wouldn't think to do anything different." He promised, and they boarded the plane.

The whole thing went much smoother than Dean had imagined. He did throw up once or twice, but he lived, and that was the most important part.

Exhausted and ready for bed, the pair headed to their hotel in the Anaheim Hilton near the convention center. 

"Hi there." The woman greeted at the front of the hotel. "How may I help you both?"

"Reservation for Winchester? For two?" Dean asked, and the woman typed rapidly at her keyboard. 

"Ah yes, Mr. Winchester. You two will be in room 204. Just go up the hall there and to the right." She directed, handing them two keys. "The WiFi password will be in your room. Are you two here for the convention? I've had lots of people in for that." She smiled.

"Uh, yeah. We are." Dean said, taking the keys and looking at them. "Thanks." He waved as he headed down the hall where she directed. Dean looked at the doors and the numbers on each of them until he found 204.

Immediately he noticed that they had gotten the wrong room.

Instead of the two queens he had requested, a massive king bed room up the center of the room. No couch, no cot. Just the one bed. 

"DAMMIT." Dean cursed, putting down his bags with a heavy sigh. "C'mon! Can't we go one day without problems!?" Dean gave an exasperated sigh and sank down into an office chair. Castiel looked at the bed, and he too sighed.

"Listen, it is what it is. I'm freaking exhausted. Let's just deal with it tomorrow before we go to the con." Castiel said, touched Dean's shoulder gently. Dean looked up at him, and he nodded a bit.

"Yeah, let's just go to bed." He took off his flannel so he was just in a soft t-shirt, and he went into the bathroom to change into his pajama pants while Castiel did the same. 

The bed looked imposing, like it was mocking them. At least to Dean. Dean got in on the left side, sliding under the soft sheets and resting his head on the pillow. Castiel plugged in his phone, then got into bed too. 

"So tomorrow is the big day. You excited?" Castiel asked, looking over at Dean. Dean rolled onto his side to face Castiel.

"Yeah. I'm a little nervous, but I'm more excited." He assured him. He then yawned and laid back in the bed again. "I'm gonna try to get to sleep. Got a big day." He smiled, rolling over so his back was to Castiel. "Night."

"Night Dean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep an eye on my profile! I've been working on a fic for about a year now and I'm nearly through with it. I'm really proud of it, so if you like AUs and Destiel, keep your eyes peeled!


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